Inside the Star

Ottawa's quiet scene has sexy undertones

"The Coral Reef was right here," says Daniel Drolet, pointing across a parking lot behind Rideau St. Patrons of Ottawa's historic gay bar, also known as "Oral Grief," would open an unmarked door in a parking garage and walk downstairs to an underground space.

OTTAWA–"The Coral Reef was right here," says Daniel Drolet, pointing across a parking lot behind Rideau St. Patrons of Ottawa's historic gay bar, also known as "Oral Grief," would open an unmarked door in a parking garage and walk downstairs to an underground space.

Opened in 1967, it was symbolic of Ottawa's LGBT scene – deeply hidden in the recesses of a city that hadn't yet encountered gay liberation.

Drolet, who is developing a gay history walking tour of Ottawa (contact him via DanielDrolet.com for updates), says he was the "young kid who hung out with the activists," so he had a chance to witness Ottawa's transformation to a more accepting city.

During the Cold War, the federal government would fire anyone believed to be gay or lesbian, using a machine called the Electropsychometer, to "test" employees for sexual orientation. The "Fruit Machine," as it's also called, is now on display at the Canadian War Museum. Ottawa's bars are no longer underground – in fact one of them, The Lookout (thelookoutbar.com, 613-789-1624) is more or less suspended in the air, with a second-floor balcony offering a great view of the ByWard Market and Parliament Hill.

I show up for Friday Fixx, the weekly women's night, which is one of their most popular: there's a line up to get in after 11:30. I work my way through the varied crowd, noticing a group of over-40s tearing up the dance floor, though most women (and men, who can also attend) are younger.

Three friends from the suburbs sum up Ottawa's women's spaces: "This and the dog park."

They describe the scene in general as quiet but easygoing. They only go out twice a year and their ritual is to enjoy a slice of cake in the Market and then "come here and dance it off."

There's a mixed crowd at CP (the Centretown Pub, 340 Somerset St. W., 613-594-0233), a place that feels like a neighbourhood pub with front and back patios. Downstairs a group of straight-looking friends are doing karaoke.

It's well situated, slightly off Bank St., in the section between Nepean and James, which a Village Initiative Committee is trying to designate as an official LGBT neighbourhood.

There have been conflicts with the local Business Improvement Association; meanwhile another organization has put up posters saying, "Not all queers support the village! Reject gentrification, assimilation and commodified queer culture."

Many are supporting the initiative, however, and businesses are putting up rainbow stickers and flags. Wilde's (wildes.ca, 613-234-5512) moved here from the ByWard Market in 1993 when they noticed that thousands of their LGBT movie renters lived in the area.

There's a lesbian-owned restaurant, two LGBT-owned cafes, a bathhouse, a bar (plus two others a bit to the north), and a queer bookstore.

The office building at 251 Bank St. houses a number of LGBT organizations and is the "gayest building in town," according to Marcus McCann of Capital Xtra, the local community publication, which is headquartered there. There are at least three LGBT-friendly sex shops, and a unique private club/community centre called Breathless (breathlessottawa.com), which provides workshops and discussion groups for the general public.

It caters to LGBT folks and anyone else interested in BDSM, swinging, paganism and goth culture. Play parties are for members only, but visitors can become guest members.

This is part of a trend that McCann says has been developing over the past three or four years in Ottawa.

"There's been a gradual shift towards an edgier, more progressive community... a slow bubbling up of really neat things that provide an alternative to the more sanitized events."

He credits art spaces like Le Petit Mort and Saw Gallery. A burlesque troupe called Sexual Overtones (sexualovertones.ca) fills 400 to 500 seats at their shows.

The Aids Committee of Ottawa co-organizes innovative events like Snowblower (aco-cso.ca/Snowblower) to build community. There's even an annual leather festival for dykes and transfolk called An Unholy Harvest (unholyharvest.ca).

During my visit I also learn that a gay bathhouse called Sauna 63 is now coed on Sundays (coed63.ca, 613-237-2284). An organization called Prostitutes of Ottawa/Gatineau Work, Educate and Resist (POWER) recently held a "sex worker pride party" called Whores Hustle with LGBT performers.

It seems that Ottawa's buttoned-down civil servants, who rarely stay out late on weeknights, have a lot of pent-up steam to blow off when they do find time to play.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.